Clift Hotel Wedding Photography | Stella + Ilya

Clift Hotel Wedding Photography

I’ve long admired the Clift Hotel as one of the most intriguing and stylish spots in San Francisco. It has an awesome lobby, with lots of quirky art, cool lamps, interesting seating, and an inviting fireplace. Clift Hotel wedding photography takes advantage of all the quirky decor the hotel has to offer. The Clift hotel’s Redwood room is a gorgeous bar.

Clift Hotel Wedding Photography

When Stella and Ilya invited me to provide their Clift Hotel wedding photography, I immediately started visualizing all the cool shots we’d take together. What I quickly realized when I arrived on the wedding day, however, was that the setting was only a small part of the story. The real story unfolded as the incredible connection between Stella and Ilya became apparent. We had their first look in a secret spot on one of the hotel’s top floors. The area has a beautiful lavender paint job, with windows providing soft, diffused light. From that first moment, at the first look, when they saw one another, they were literally inseparable. Throughout the day, Ilya would close his eyes, inhale deeply, and just absorb the reality of those moments. Stella would light up as soon as Ilya got close, gazed at her, touched her, kissed her. During the ceremony in the Clift Hotel’s Spanish Suite, the Rabbi wrapped the couple in a tallis – a Jewish prayer shawl – so tightly that they were pressed together. Their eyes were closed, and it was quite an incredible moment. The reception room was elegantly decorated and bathed in red light. The details were impeccable. There was lots of energetic dancing, beautiful toasts, and delicious food. I was very grateful to Erin (of Your Event By Erin), “Stilya’s” wedding planner, and Erica and the Clift Hotel wedding crew, for putting together such a colorful, beautiful and seamless day.